When word got out Sunday morning that Enes Kanter would be sitting courtside at Wintrust Arena, plenty of people braced for trouble. Given everything he’s been saying about women’s sports lately, it felt less like a maybe and more like a matter of time.
Sure enough, by the third quarter, the drama everyone half-expected had already played out in front of a packed house. It wasn’t long after that that an ESPN legend pushed hard for the WNBA to finally get clear about where it stands.
Linda Cohn Reacts to Enes Canter-Natasha Cloud Altercation
Kanter was ejected from the arena after things got heated with Sky guard Natasha Cloud on the sidelines. Linda Cohn, who spent decades behind the SportsCenter desk before stepping away from ESPN, didn’t hold back once footage of the incident started making the rounds online.
Cohn used her X account to push the league toward putting something concrete in writing.
“Indiana scored 113 points and sitting courtside, a former NBA center who wants to enter the WNBA draft next season. Arguing with a Chicago Sky player before being kicked out. But this is no longer an isolated incident. Everywhere the Fever travel, the controversy surrounding Sophie Cunningham’s comments seems to follow.”
“There have been rallies and counter-protests in Seattle, in Portland, in Minnesota, in Chicago, in New York; Sophie has been booed. Fans have been confronted. And now the controversy has moved from outside the arena to courtside. The WNBA keeps saying that it wants everyone to focus on basketball. Clarify your policy!” Cohn said on “The Linda Cohn Show.”
Enes Kanter, who is threatening to apply for the WNBA draft next year, unless the league clarifies its eligibility rule, made his point to Sky player Natasha Cloud courtside in Chicago. #wnba pic.twitter.com/Jrlti3TXnB
— Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) August 24, 2026
Kanter showed up wearing a black shirt with a message printed across it that defined “woman” in biological terms. “WOMAN noun. Adult human female.”
According to his account, the confrontation kicked off after he reacted to a three-pointer from Cunningham. He cheered for Cunningham after the shot, which was apparently enough to set things in motion.
Kanter claimed that a few plays later, Cloud walked over and started yelling and cursing at him. Videos from the stands back up at least part of the story, showing Cloud storming toward him late in the third quarter, pointing and shouting.
The former NBA player then got to his feet and took a step toward the court before arena staff and players intervened to pull the two apart. Security then walked him out for good.
“Toward the end of the third quarter, Sophie Cunningham shot a three, and I put my hands up to celebrate. A couple of possessions later, Natasha came back and started screaming and yelling and said, ‘She’s not going to sleep with you.’ I was like, ‘I am not trying to sleep with her. I’m just here to protect women and support her.”
“Obviously, after that, she started yapping and yelling. She started to walk toward me and literally I just got up and said, ‘I’m just here to protect women and that’s all.’ She started to yell and started to use some very heavy language and actually started to cuss,” Kanter said to Fox News’ Jackson Thompson.
However, the controversy did not stop the Fever from dominating on the court. Caitlin Clark led the Fever with 37 points and 10 assists. Kelsey Mitchell added 30 points as the Fever pulled away from Chicago for a convincing 113-90 victory.
While the game ended with a clear result on the scoreboard, the Kanter-Cloud confrontation ensured that the night would be remembered for much more than basketball.
